Vapor electric lamp.



S. FERGUSON.

VAPOR ELEGTRIG LAMP.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

924,975. Patented June 15, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' Witnesses Inventor.

Samuel Ferguson. M W y S. FERGUSON.

VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMP.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

924,975. Patented June 15,1909. Q I 4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses. Inventor.

Samuel Ferguson.

- UNITED s'ra'rns rg rnutr OFFICE.

SAMUEL FERGUSON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric lLamps, of which the following is a specifica- 1011.

My present invention. relates more especlally to a lantern or holder for mercury vapor or. similar electric lamps, and comprises various details of construction, the novel features of which are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

The construction of the lamp itself will be better understood by reference to the follow- 111g description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lamp; Fig, 2 a view representing the manner of inserting the lamp proper in its holder; Fig. 3

a detail; and Fig. 4 a cross-sectional view ofthe lamp.

The lamp or illuminant in connection with which my invention is particularly useful is that known as a mercury vapor lamp in wlnch the light is produced by the passage of electric current through the instrumentality of mercury vapor in. an exhausted envelop or container of tubular or other convenient form. Such a lamp is indicated in outline at 1 in Fig. 1 and more clearly in side elevation at 1 in Fig.4. The lamp is, of course, The

susceptible of many modifications. lamp shown way ofillustration, consists, however, of an exhausted glass tube 2 of convenient-length, surmounted by a bulbor enlargement 3 constituting a condensing chamber for the surplus mercury vapor produced during normal operation. The electrodes of the lamp are two in number and are located at opposite ends of the container. The electrode at the to end of the lamp consistsv of a hollow cylinder 4 of artificial graphite or the like suspended by a conductor 5 the upper end of which is sealed through the bulb 3 and is electrically connected to the metallic cap 6 cemented to the top of the bulb. The w1re 5 is surrounded by arotective tube 5 ofglass, the lower end 0 which may flare slightly over the top of the electrode 4.

A filament 7 of carbon or other suitable material is suspended from the electrode 4 and extends down the tube 1 through cen- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 29,

I Patented June 15, 1909.

1904. Serial No. 214,611.

tralizing guides 8, 9 and 10 into engagement with a body of mercury carried in the hollowed-out upper end of a plunger or float 11 of magnetic material. This plungerj floats in a body of mercury which fills the lower end ofthe tube and which constitutes the lower, and in this case the negative,-electrode of the lamp. The lower immersed body portion of the plunger moves in a contracted extension 13 of the tube and is thereby held in a central position so that the cup in its upper end is always immediately under the lower end of the filament 7. The body of mercury 13 is connected by a suitable leading-in conductor with an external contact-making metal cap 14 cemented about the lower end of the contracted portion of the tube.

The lamp above described is carried by means of a lantern or holder, the transparent walls of which are so fashioned as to produce a light distribution in which the light appears to' emanate not as a band of light from the elongated tube but as a dispersed radiance. The body of the glass holder appears to be filled with light. This effect is produced by making use of a. holophane globe which consists, in the form shown, of a glass envelop provided with properly calculated dispersing prisms on the inside thereof. r

In the construction shown two globes, each of somewhat tapered form and practically identical with each other, are employed. These globes indicated at 15 and 16 are placed with their larger ends together. These larger ends have outwardly projecting flanges and are encircled by two metal rings 17 and 18 fitting one into the other as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. These rings have inwardly flanges of the globes 15 and 16; Theyare soldered or otherwise securel fastened together and thus strongly an permanently secure the globes 15 and 16 together.

a circular sheet metalframe 20 pivotally carried by a bail or hanger 21. The pivots for this bail are indicated at 22 and 23 and are fastened to the sheet metal member 20".

The lamp globe is carried from the sheet metal member 20 by means of a perforated The upper end of-the bail is provided with an insulating roller 24 by which the lamp issuspendcd from a suitable hook such as 25..

extending flanges 19 and 20 engaging the The support for the globes is provided by.

bulb 3 is surrounded by a protecting but ventilated casing 30 of woven wire carried by the member and provided with a cover 31 fitting over the top of the same. This cover is provided with pins 32 and 33 which respectively engage slots as 34 in the bail 21. The cover is also provided with a hole in one side thereof to he slipped over a hook 35 carried by the member 20. When the cover is thus hooked over, the lantern hangs in the position shown in Fig.2. When in this position the mercury lamp may be readily inserted in the lantern asshown in this figure. The lamp tube is thus passed into the lantern until the bulb 3 rests upon the cushion 29. \Vhen in this position the lower end of the tube of the lamp projects beyond the lower end of the globe 16 and is then within the influence of a solenoid 36. This solenoid operates when energized to draw down the magnetic plunger 11 in the lamp and thus start the latter into operationin a well understood manner. The solenoid consists of a coil of wire andis contained in a metal casing 37.' This casing,is securely fastened to a skeleton metal ring- 38, the upper end of which fastens over the lower flanged end of the globe 16. The openings in this ring provide entrance points for a cooling circulation of air up through the lantern.

The central tube 39 supported from the solenoid structure serves to center the lower end of the lamp and to support a part of the weight thereof. To secure electrical contact for the lower end of the lamp two spring clips as at 40, carried by the solenoid structure but suitably insulated therefrom, press on opposite sides of the contact cap 14 on the lower end of the lamp. These cli s are electrically connected to.one termina of the solenoid winding, while the other terminal. of

the winding is connected by a conductor 40' up through the globe of the lantern and outthrough the bushing 42. This bushing also carries a conductor 43 having a spring clip 44 engaging the cap 6 on the upper end of the lamp. These conductors 40' and 43 constitute the terminals of the lam It will be evident from the toregoing description that numerous modifications in the construction of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, for which reason I do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown and described.

WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The combination of two lightdiflf'using globes secured end to end, a vapor electric lamp mounted in said globes and provided with an armature, and a solenoid fastened to andcarried by one of said globes and cooperating with said armature.

2. The combination of a light diffusing globe, open at its lower end, a solenoid secured to said end by means permitting a circulation of air through the open end of the globe, and spring clips carried by said solenoid.

3. The combination of a light diffusin globe, a lamp tube extending through said globe and projecting at either end, said lamp tube being provided with -an armature, a solenoid surrounding one'of the projecting ends, and protectin means surrounding the other projecting end.

4. The combination of a solenoid, a vapor electric device having a contact-makin 1 cap, and a spring contact in the interior 0 said solenoid for engaging with said contactmaking cap.

5. The combination of a solenoid, a vapor electric device having a member projectlng into said solenoid, a contact-making cap on said member, and a contact in said solenoid adapted to engage said contact-nulking cap.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of June, 1904.

SAMUEL FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

G. C. HoLLIsTun, HELEN Onronu. 

